The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is pleased to congratulate Gabrielle Solair and Elana (Ellie) Forman for being named Dean's Scholars, an honor presented annually to students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise.
The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is pleased to congratulate M. Ruth Elliott and Martin Seligman for being named 2023 distinguished teaching award winners.
When Adam Thiel (Master of Philosophy in Organizational Dynamics `27—expected) joined the Philadelphia Fire Department as the first non-Philadelphian Fire Commissioner since Benjamin Franklin, he wanted to spend his first few years immersed in the ins and outs of the city and its municipal organizations. Then he was ready to dedicate some time to educational pursuits. “I always need to be learning, or it’s like a piece of me is missing,” he explains.
After two decades of success in the pharmaceutical industry—in various customer-facing and business roles at Sanofi—Kelly Rebmann Shepperson (Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics ’22) was ready to pivot. While the vaccine company’s mission of prevention is deeply meaningful to her, she admits realizing that solving business problems was not her passion. “I love strategy and tactics; I'm good at those things,” she says, “But I like solving people and leadership problems a little bit better.”
By 2020, Ebighe Emafo (Master of Philosophy in Organizational Dynamics `22) had a portfolio of human resources initiatives that he was proud of. “Throughout my career, I always focused on trying to understand what the employee's expectations were, how we as an organization or team were meeting up with those expectations, and what we needed to do to close the gap between expectations and actual experience,” he says. “You can have the best strategy, the best technology, the best tools and resources, and every other organization can copy or improve upon that.
Adele Yang (Post-Baccalaureate Studies, University of Pennsylvania ’22) has always wanted to study neuropsychology—particularly neuropsychopharmocology. “50% of patients on antidepressant medication are treatment-resistant, and the side effects are terrible,” says Adele. “That’s ultimately why I decided on drug research rather than clinical psychology.
Dr. Brighid Dwyer, Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Penn Arts and Sciences, has been selected to address the College of Liberal and Professional Studies Class of 2023 at the graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 14. “LPS students are phenomenal,” says Dr. Dwyer. “One of the many ways I have been impressed by LPS students is how they remain connected and committed to Penn. It is clear that students have gained so much from their time at LPS and they remain connected to the community.”
The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is pleased to recognize the LPS students selected to participate in the Professional Master’s program category of this year’s Penn Grad Talks. The competition, which took place at the Penn Museum on February 24, features TED Talk-style presentations by Penn Arts and Sciences graduate students from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional master’s programs.
The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is honored to celebrate Nancy Makale (Bachelor of Arts `22), whose academic achievements will be recognized by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) 2023 Annual Conference, which takes place March 22-24 in Washington, DC.
Whether you work with clients, customers, patients, or students, you’ve likely heard of behavioral science—or wondered how it can improve outcomes in your field. The Behavioral Economics Theory and Research (BETR) Collective, an emerging student group focused on applying behavioral insights to create community impact, wants to help Philadelphia area students and organizations find answers. “The behavioral science toolkit is great for problem-solving across industries,” remarks Ravenn Triplett (MBDS `23), one of the co-founders of BETR Collective.
The lifelong learning division of Penn Arts & Sciences
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